Few eligible county residents collect food assistance

Only 22 percent of potentially-eligible people in San Juan County have applied for and receive Basic Food benefits from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), according to Nancy Wolke, the administrator of Skagit and San Juan County community service offices.

The Washington Basic Food Program (Basic Food) is a nutrition entitlement program which helps low-income individuals and families purchase food.

The 22 percent of residents collecting in San Juan County is low, in fact it is far below the state’s average of 65 percent. In Skagit County 59 percent of potentially eligible residents receive food assistance while 78 percent receive Basic Food in Whatcom County.

The number of residents collecting, compared to the number of people that have the potential to, has Bellingham-based Old Town Christian Ministries (OTCM) program coordinator Heidi Unick, thinking hard about ways on which to reach those who could qualify. Not only that, but Unick is shocked that so few of those who may be eligible for Basic Food, have applied.

“It’s the worst I’ve seen,” said Unick, who wants to reach the 78 percent of people that could be receiving Basic Food but are not. “It’s deplorable.”

OTCM serves as the prime contractor for the Basic Food program in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island and San Juan County, meaning it handles the outreach programs and helps people through the application process. On Oct. 1 the Lopez Island Family Resources Center (FRC) became a sub-contractor for OTCM, which means the organization can now help those in need fill out the application and answer questions on a local level.

FRC’s involvement has Unick hoping the personal and local support will encourage those who need assistance to come forward.

The DSHS office determined the number of potentially-eligible residents by using 2000 census data, the most recent numbers available to the department. According to the census, there are 14,400 residents in San Juan County in 4,027 families. That calculates into an average of 3.6 people per family. There are 680 (a total of 2,448 resident) families with yearly incomes less than $25,000. Of those more than 2,000 residents, only 549 currently receive Basic Food benefits.

The study also found that seniors are the extremely under-served population in San Juan County. Unick felt this could be a result of previous resource stipulations that limited saving accounts to $2,000 and the value of one’s car to $4,650. Those rules have since been lifted. “The powers that be are really trying to make it easier,” said Unick. In the past, those with prior drug related felonies could not collect Basic Food, however, with recent changes to the rules, those individuals may receive assistance.

Unick believes some eligible seniors may be resistant to applying because they don’t want to collect welfare. “Basic Food is not a welfare program,” said Unick. “You are entitled to this because of your income.”

Wolke, and local DSHS sub-contractor, Lopez Island Family Resources Director Celia Snapp also have several theories why so few county residents collect food assistance. Number one on the list is embarrassment. Living in a small community, where you see your friends and neighbors on nearly every trip to the grocery store, could be a huge deterrent.

Fear of mountains of paperwork could be yet another inhibitor. And yet another theory, unique to this county, could be the inability to take time off from work to travel to Friday Harbor, where the County’s DSHS office is located.

However, many of these fears are unfounded, as DSHS has made many changes to ease the anxiety of potentially eligible recipients. “We try to make it as easy as we can,” said Wolke.

In response to those who may find it embarrassing to use colorful food coupons at the check-out counter, benefits are now put on a more confidential debit-type card, which looks just like a credit card.

When it comes to actually applying for assistance, everything can be done by a mail-in application and a phone interview. For the interview portion of the application, mandated by Federal law, a phone interview can be requested so island residents don’t have to make a costly trip to the mainland.

OTCM offers phone support, in fact they will fill out the application for those in need over the phone and then mail it out for a signature. (1-800-600-6494)

For those who are unsure if they are eligible for Basic Food benefits, there is now an on-line eligibility calculator, which can be found at www.1.dshs.wa.gov/ESA/TEC/.

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